Skip to main content

By clicking Submit, you agree to the developerWorks terms of use.

The first time you sign into developerWorks, a profile is created for you. Select information in your developerWorks profile is displayed to the public, but you may edit the information at any time. Your first name, last name (unless you choose to hide them), and display name will accompany the content that you post.

All information submitted is secure.

  • Close [x]

The first time you sign in to developerWorks, a profile is created for you, so you need to choose a display name. Your display name accompanies the content you post on developerworks.

Please choose a display name between 3-31 characters. Your display name must be unique in the developerWorks community and should not be your email address for privacy reasons.

By clicking Submit, you agree to the developerWorks terms of use.

All information submitted is secure.

  • Close [x]

Select a language:

  • Close [x]
  • Close [x]

Using the GNU text utilities

David Mertz (mertz@gnosis.cx), Developer, Gnosis Software, Inc.
David Mertz has an enduring fondness for munging text. He even went so far as to write the book, Text Processing in Python, and frequently touches on related topics for his IBM developerWorks articles and columns. David's Web site is also a good source of related information.

Summary:  This introductory- to intermediate-level tutorial introduces the GNU text utilities and shows how to use them for processing log files, documentation, structured text databases, and other textual sources of data or content.

Date:  09 Mar 2004
Level:  Introductory
PDF:  A4 and Letter (91 KB | 27 pages)Get Adobe® Reader®

Activity:  13090 views
Comments:  

Summary

Summary

This tutorial directly presents just a small portion of what you can achieve with the GNU text utilities. The final few examples start to suggest just how powerful the utilities can be with creative use of pipes and redirection. The key is to break an overall transformation down into useful intermediate data, either saving that intermediary to another file or piping it to a utility that deals with that data format.

I wish to thank my colleague Andrew Blais for assistance in preparation of this tutorial.

9 of 11 | Previous | Next

Comments

Back to top

Close [x]

Help: Update or add to My dW interests

What's this?

This little timesaver lets you update your My developerWorks profile with just one click! The general subject of this content (AIX and UNIX, Information Management, Lotus, Rational, Tivoli, WebSphere, Java, Linux, Open source, SOA and Web services, Web development, or XML) will be added to the interests section of your profile, if it's not there already. You only need to be logged in to My developerWorks.

And what's the point of adding your interests to your profile? That's how you find other users with the same interests as yours, and see what they're reading and contributing to the community. Your interests also help us recommend relevant developerWorks content to you.

View your My developerWorks profile

Return from help

Close [x]

Help: Remove from My dW interests

What's this?

Removing this interest does not alter your profile, but rather removes this piece of content from a list of all content for which you've indicated interest. In a future enhancement to My developerWorks, you'll be able to see a record of that content.

View your My developerWorks profile

Return from help

static.content.url=http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/js/artrating/
SITE_ID=1
Zone=Linux
ArticleID=132892
TutorialTitle=Using the GNU text utilities
publish-date=03092004
author1-email=mertz@gnosis.cx
author1-email-cc=

Table of contents

9 of 11 | Previous | Next

Local resources

Tags

Help
Use the search field to find all types of content in My developerWorks with that tag.

Use the slider bar to see more or fewer tags.

Popular tags shows the top tags for this particular content zone (for example, Java technology, Linux, WebSphere).

My tags shows your tags for this particular content zone (for example, Java technology, Linux, WebSphere).

Use the search field to find all types of content in My developerWorks with that tag. Popular tags shows the top tags for this particular content zone (for example, Java technology, Linux, WebSphere). My tags shows your tags for this particular content zone (for example, Java technology, Linux, WebSphere).

 

Dig deeper into Linux on developerWorks

Try IBM PureSystems. No charge.

IBM PureSystems on a kaleideoscope background

Experience today!

Get started with the cloud-based trial and pattern development kit.

Share this page:

  • Close [x]

Follow developerWorks:

  • Close [x]